[Devongone]

Just a further note re cheating. Last night Brentford were awarded a penalty where the camera showed no contact whatsoever. The player had over run it and went down in hope. In these cases the FA or whoever should give a retrospective yellow card and a fine to the player. Every game in the country has cameras now, if players knew their cheating may be exposed and they would be punished, would they think twice? If it hit their pocket I think so. OK you cant always prove it either way 100% but in some (like last night) you clearly can.

Unfortunately I think when you report on a game and end up talking a lot about foul play and the referee you are very accurately reflecting the game. We are all turning football which should be a sport which brings joy and pleasure to players and spectators into some sort of decision-based cheat's paradise in which everything you can get away with is okay and the man who shoulders the blame has to wear black to reflect how depressed he ends up feeling about humanity.

It is commonplace for spectators to complain that the ref' thinks he is the centre of attention ........ but now he is right, that's the way the game is. He should be providing a neutral decision in the odd disputed moment, but now he's running the whole show. He has to look after baby players aged 32 lying on the floor howling after they've shown too much of the ball to a younger and quicker opponent and distinguish that from genuine injuries. He has to be aware that almost everyone on the field is there to cheat and everyone of them would be prepared to say it is him that is cheating. He is going to be under pressure for every minute of the ninety he's out there and the whole result will hinge on what he has seen or not seen and how he has interpreted that information. YET THIS A GAME. IT IS NOT A WAR.

Cheating should be the worst thing you can do in any game, because it destroys the whole point of playing. You're caught bang to rights diving when no one has touched you and yet you are appealing for a penalty - you should be banned for six months ....... and if another player in your team is caught doing the same thing during that period there should be a points deduction for the team.

We have to get back to the ref being a nice adjunct to the game, that honest, trusted voice you'll abide by even if you think he might be wrong this time. We can't allow sports to have to be constantly monitored by some sort of robocop ........ or not only sport but life itself will be on the way to being impossible.

Mats Wilander at match point in Final of the French Tennis Championship as a teenager held up his hand and disputed the call which had been in his favour & which would have won him the championship. He went on to win. That IS sport. He played fair. The Corinthians used to be so ashamed at having conceded a penalty their keeper leant on the post and made no attempt to save. That's sport. Shaking the ref's hand and saying well done at the end of the game, that's sport, even if he made mistakes. Showing the opposition they can't beat you even if they are dirtiest set of baskets you've come across, that's sport ...... and shaking their hands after feels so effing good too!